Toy

Abstract

We offer highly entertaining toys. [Solution] The toy, which can take on a first and a second form, includes a main body that includes a light-emitting part and imitates only a part of an article. In the first form, the main body is configured to be holdable by an auxiliary part, and while held by the auxiliary part, it is configured to be rotatable and can be supplied from an article supply device. In the second form, where it is not held by the auxiliary part, it is configured not to be supplied from an article supply device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to toys.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a toy car. When an obstacle approaches this toy car, its running stops, and thereby a brake lamp lights up. Thereby, the user can obtain a realistic feeling similar to the operation of a real car from the toy car.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a highly interesting toy.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The toy according to the present invention is a toy that can take a first form and a second form, includes a light-emitting part, and has a main body part that imitates only a part of an article. The light-emitting part is configured to be unable to emit light in the first form and to be able to emit light in the second form.

Effects of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, a highly interesting toy can be provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a view showing a toy 100 in the first form. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a view of the toy 100 in the second form seen from the front side. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the second form of toy 100. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the second form of toy 100, seen from a different direction than in Figure 3. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of car 200 as viewed from above. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Hereinafter, a toy 100, which is one aspect of the present invention, will be described with reference to the figures. Toy 100 can take two forms: a first form and a second form. The first form is a sales form for supply from an article supply device. The second form is a play form for playing, such as for viewing.

[0009] Figure 1 shows the toy 100 in its first form. As shown in Figure 1, the toy 100 comprises a spherical capsule 2 that forms a storage space inside by connecting a hemispherical outer shell member 2A and a hemispherical outer shell member 2B, and a main body 1 configured to be held inside the capsule 2. The capsule 2 constitutes an auxiliary part.

[0010] In its first form, toy 100 is spherical and therefore easily rollable. Consequently, it can be supplied and sold through an item supply device.

[0011] The item supply device comprises a storage section capable of accommodating multiple toys 100 of the first form in a random arrangement, a supply section capable of randomly selecting and supplying toys 100 one by one from the storage section, a locking section for locking the supply section, an operating section that unlocks the locking section and allows the supply section to be rotated upon payment of a fee, and a passage section for allowing the toys 100 to roll through from the storage section to the supply opening. In this way, because the toys 100 have a roughly spherical shape that makes them easy to roll, damage to the toys 100 can be avoided when they are supplied by the item supply device, and they can be reliably supplied to the user.

[0012] The toy 100 can be removed from the capsule 2 by releasing the connection between the outer shell member 2A and the outer shell member 2B. This state, with the main body 1 removed from the capsule 2, constitutes the second form of the toy 100. The main body 1 is configured to be unable to roll on its own. For this reason, in the second form, the main body 1 is configured to be unable to be supplied by the article supply device.

[0013] Figure 2 is a front view of the second form of toy 100. Figure 3 is a perspective view of the second form of toy 100. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the second form of toy 100 from a different direction than that shown in Figure 3.

[0014] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the outer shape of the main body 1 is approximately a rectangular parallelepiped. The direction with the longest length of the main body 1 is referred to as the left-right direction. The second longest length of the main body 1 is referred to as the front-back direction. The shortest length of the main body 1 is referred to as the up-down direction. The left-right direction, the front-back direction, and the up-down direction are all perpendicular to each other.

[0015] The main body 1 is configured to house a first light-emitting unit 21R, a second light-emitting unit 21L, and a power supply unit 22, such as a primary or secondary battery, which supplies power to them. The first light-emitting unit 21R and the second light-emitting unit 21L are each configured to emit light in at least one of two states: a steady state and a blinking state. The power supply unit 22 is preferably located in the center of the main body 1.

[0016] Preferably, the length of the main body 1 in the left-right direction is approximately the same as the inner diameter of the capsule 2. This allows the main body 1 to be securely held in the center of the capsule 2, preventing the main body 1 from moving too much inside the capsule 2 when the toy 100 of the first form rolls around.

[0017] The length of the main body part 1 in the vertical and front-rear directions is smaller than the inner diameter of the capsule 2. In the first embodiment, the internal space of the capsule 2 is divided vertically, horizontally, and laterally by the main body part 1. Therefore, accessories of the main body part 1 can be easily stored in a wide space other than the part where the main body part 1 is arranged.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the main body part 1 has a configuration that mimics only a part of a car as an article (the front part of the car in the example of FIG. 2). FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a car 200 viewed from above.

[0019] The front part 201 of the car 200 is, for example, a part that is in front of the windshield and includes the headlights. The main body part 1 has a configuration that mimics this front part 201. Note that the main body part 1 may have a configuration that mimics the rear part 202 of the car 200. The rear part 202 is a part that is behind the rear windshield and includes the taillights. The design on the surface of the main body part 1 is arbitrary because it varies depending on the vehicle type of the vehicle to be mimicked.

[0020] In the front-rear direction, the front side of the car that the main body part 1 mimics is defined as the front direction, and the opposite side is defined as the rear direction. In the vertical direction, the upper side of the car that the main body part 1 mimics is defined as the upper direction, and the opposite side is defined as the lower direction. In the left-right direction, when the car that the main body part 1 mimics is viewed from the front, the right side is defined as the right direction, and the opposite side is defined as the left direction.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the outer peripheral surface of the main body part 1 includes a plurality (six in the example of the figure) of surface parts (the front front surface part 10Fr, the rear rear surface part 10Rr, the right right surface part 10R, the left left surface part 10L, the upper upper surface part 10U, and the lower lower surface part 10D).

[0022] On the front surface part 10Fr, the right surface part 10R, the left surface part 10L, and the upper surface part 10U of the main body part 1, a design that mimics the front part of the car is applied.

[0023] For example, since the upper surface part 10U mimics the upper surface of the front part of a car that often has irregularities, it is formed including irregularities.

[0024] The right side portion 10R and the left side portion 10L are designed to mimic the often curved front sides of a car, and are therefore composed of outwardly bulging curved surfaces. The right side portion 10R and the left side portion 10L do not necessarily have to be entirely curved, but may include curved surfaces in part. When the right side portion 10R and the left side portion 10L include curved surfaces, in the first embodiment shown in Figure 1, the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the capsule 2 and the right side portion 10R and the left side portion 10L can be reduced, thereby increasing the holding force of the capsule 2 on the main body portion 1.

[0025] The front section 10Fr of the main body 1 is designed to mimic the front of a car, which often has a curved surface, and therefore includes a curved surface that bulges outward. The front section 10Fr is provided with a first light-transmitting section 20R, which mimics one of the left and right headlights of a car, and a second light-transmitting section 20L, which mimics the other of the left and right headlights of a car, spaced apart in the left-right direction.

[0026] As shown in Figure 2, the first light-transmitting section 20R and the second light-transmitting section 20L have a symmetrical shape, similar to that of a car, and are constructed to have the same shape and size. Furthermore, the overall shape of the main body 1 should be symmetrical when viewed from the front.

[0027] Inside the main body 1, a first light-emitting section 21R is provided corresponding to the first light-transmitting section 20R, and a second light-emitting section 21L is provided corresponding to the second light-transmitting section 20L. The first light-emitting section 21R and the second light-emitting section 21L each include a light-emitting element such as an LED and a driving circuit for the light-emitting element, and are configured to emit visible light. The first light-emitting section 21R is configured so that the emitted visible light can pass through the corresponding first light-transmitting section 20R and be emitted to the outside of the main body 1. The second light-emitting section 21L is configured so that the emitted visible light can pass through the corresponding second light-transmitting section 20L and be emitted to the outside of the main body 1.

[0028] The first light-transmitting section 20R and the second light-transmitting section 20L are each made of a resin or the like that can transmit visible light emitted from the corresponding light-emitting section.

[0029] The lower surface 10D and rear surface 10Rr of the main body 1 are configured to be flatter than the upper surface 10U, right surface 10R, left surface 10L, and front surface 10Fr, respectively. As shown in Figure 3, in the second embodiment, the main body 1 can be placed on a flat mounting surface 30 such as a table by bringing the lower surface 10D into contact with the mounting surface 30.

[0030] As shown in Figure 4, an operating section 23 is provided on the rear portion 10Rr. The operating section 23 is configured as, for example, a push switch, specifically an alternate switch. When the operating section 23 is pushed forward, power is supplied from the power supply unit 22 to the first light-emitting section 21R and the second light-emitting section 21L, causing both to emit light simultaneously.

[0031] When the operating unit 23 is pushed forward again, it returns to a position where it protrudes backward. When this operation is performed, power from the power supply unit 22 is not supplied to the first light-emitting unit 21R and the second light-emitting unit 21L, and the first light-emitting unit 21R and the second light-emitting unit 21L turn off. Note that the operating unit 23 is not limited to a push switch; a slide switch or the like can also be used.

[0032] When the operating section 23 is pushed forward, the height difference between the surface of the rear section 10Rr and the operating section 23 becomes smaller compared to when the operating section 23 is not pushed forward. Therefore, by bringing the rear section 10Rr into contact with the mounting section 30, the main body 1 can be stably mounted on the mounting section 30.

[0033] In the second configuration, the main unit 1 can be viewed with the front section 10Fr facing horizontally and with the front section 10Fr facing upwards. When viewing with the front section 10Fr facing horizontally, the user can switch between the first light-emitting section 21R and the second light-emitting section 21L being lit or flashing and off by directly operating the control unit 23, thereby enjoying the illumination state of the main unit 1.

[0034] To view the front section 10Fr facing upwards, the user grasps the main body 1 with the operating section 23 protruding to the rear, presses the rear section 10Rr against the mounting section 30, and pushes the operating section 23 forward. This allows the first light-emitting section 21R and the second light-emitting section 21L to be turned on or flashed.

[0035] To turn off the first light-emitting section 21R and the second light-emitting section 21L, the main body 1, which is placed on the mounting section 30, is pushed towards the mounting section 30. This operation returns the operating section 23 to its rearward protruding state, and the first light-emitting section 21R and the second light-emitting section 21L are turned off.

[0036] Thus, the first light-emitting unit 21R and the second light-emitting unit 21L can be switched on and off by indirect operation of the main body 1. With these configurations, the toy 100 of the second form can be enjoyed in a variety of ways, thereby increasing its appeal.

[0037] In the first embodiment, the operating unit 23 is positioned in the internal space of the capsule 2 and is configured so as not to come into contact with the inner circumferential surface of the capsule 2. Therefore, the operating unit 23 cannot be operated in the first embodiment. In other words, the operating unit 23 is configured to be operable only in the second embodiment. In the first embodiment, the operating unit 23 is held in a position protruding to the rear, and the first light-emitting unit 21R and the second light-emitting unit 21L are configured to be unable to emit light. This configuration prevents the battery level of the power supply unit 22 from decreasing.

[0038] As described above, toy 100 has a main body 1 that imitates only a part of a car, and the main body 1 is equipped with a first light-emitting part 21R and a second light-emitting part 21L. This allows users to enjoy a realistic part of the car. Because the main body 1 imitates only a part of the car, the user can freely imagine the rest of the car, enabling a variety of ways to enjoy it. Because the main body 1 imitates only a part of the car, it can be made small enough to be stored in a capsule 2, and can be realized as a toy that can be supplied from an item supply device.

[0039] The main body 1 has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape, and its length in both the front-to-back and up-to-down directions is small. Therefore, whether playing with the front section 10Fr facing horizontally (Figure 3) or with the front section 10Fr facing upwards, multiple main body 1s can be lined up and enjoyed without taking up much space.

[0040] The main unit 1 houses the power supply unit 22 in its central location. By placing the heavy power supply unit 22 in the central location, the main unit 1 can be stably placed on the mounting unit 30 whether the front unit 10Fr is facing horizontally (Figure 3) or upwards.

[0041] In the above description, it is assumed that the front section 10Fr, right side section 10R, left side section 10L, and top section 10U of the main body 1 are designed to resemble the front of an automobile, but this is not limited to this. For example, only the front section 10Fr of the main body 1 may be designed to resemble the front of a car. In this case, the main body 1 would be constructed to resemble a part of the front section 201 of the car 200 shown in Figure 5. The same applies when the main body 1 is constructed to resemble the rear section 202.

[0042] The main body 1 is designed to resemble a car as an object, but this object is not limited to a car as long as it has a part that emits light.

[0043] As explained above, the following matters are disclosed in this specification.

[0044] (1) A toy that can take on a first form and a second form, It includes a light-emitting part and a main body that mimics only a part of an object, The above-mentioned light-emitting part is configured to be unable to emit light in the first embodiment and to be able to emit light in the second embodiment, in a toy.

[0045] (2) (1) The toy described above, The above-mentioned light-emitting part is configured to emit light in at least one of two states: a steady state and a flashing state, in this toy.

[0046] (3) (1) or (2) the toys described above, The main body described above is configured to be held by an auxiliary part in the first embodiment, and is configured to be rotatable while being held by the auxiliary part, in a toy.

[0047] (4) (3) The toys described above, The main body described above is a toy configured to be supplied from an article supply device in the first embodiment described above.

[0048] (5) (4) The toys described above, The toy is configured such that, in the second form where the main body is not held by the auxiliary part, it cannot be supplied from the item supply device.

[0049] (6) A toy described in any one of (1) to (5), The above-mentioned main body includes the operating section, The above-mentioned operating unit is configured to be operable only in the second embodiment described above, in this toy.

[0050] (7) (6) The toys described above, The above-mentioned light-emitting part is configured to emit light upon direct operation of the above-mentioned control part and indirect operation of the above-mentioned main body part, in this toy.

[0051] (8) (6) or (7) the toys described above, The above-mentioned light-emitting part is configured to be turned off under the condition of operating the above-mentioned control unit, in this toy.

[0052] (9) A toy described in any one of (6) to (8), The above-mentioned light-emitting section includes a first light-emitting section and a second light-emitting section. A toy in which the first light-emitting unit and the second light-emitting unit are configured to light up simultaneously, subject to the operation of the control unit.

[0053] (10) A toy described in any one of (6) to (9), The above-mentioned operating section is a toy in which a part of it protrudes from the main body.

[0054] (11) A toy described in any one of (6) to (10), The above main body includes a light-transmitting portion, The above-mentioned light-transmitting part is configured to allow light emitted from the above-mentioned light-emitting part to pass through, in this toy.

[0055] (12) (11) The toys described above, The above main body includes a plurality of surface parts, The above-mentioned light-transmitting portion is formed on one of the above-mentioned multiple surface portions, in a toy.

[0056] (13) (12) The toys described above, The above light-transmitting portion is provided on the front surface portion of the main body portion, The above-mentioned operating unit is provided on the rear surface of the main body, in the toy.

[0057] (14) A toy described in any one of (11) to (13), The above light-transmitting portion includes a first light-transmitting portion and a second light-transmitting portion. A toy in which the first light-transmitting part and the second light-transmitting part described above are made up of the same shape.

[0058] (15) (14) The toys described above, A toy in which the first light-transmitting part and the second light-transmitting part are of the same size.

[0059] (16) A toy described in any one of (1) to (15), The toy is constructed with the main body having curved surfaces on its right and left sides.

[0060] (17) A toy described in any one of (1) to (16), The toy is characterized by having an upper surface that is formed with irregularities.

[0061] (18) A toy described in any one of (1) to (16), The main body described above is a toy configured to be placed on a mounting section in the second embodiment described above.

[0062] (19) A toy described in any one of (1) to (18), The main body described above is a toy, constructed to resemble the front part of a car, including its headlights, or the rear part of a car, including its taillights.

[0063] (20) A toy described in any one of (1) to (18), The main body described above is a toy, constructed to resemble a part of the front of a car, including its headlights, or a part of the rear of a car, including its taillights.

[0064] (twenty one) A toy described in any one of (1) to (20), The above-mentioned main unit includes the power supply unit, The above power supply unit is located in the center of the main body, in this toy. [Explanation of symbols]

[0065] 1. Main body 2 capsules 2A, 2B Outer shell members 10D Lower Part 10L Left side of face 10R Right face 10U upper face 10Fr front end 10Rr back face 20L Second Light Transmission Section 20R First Light Transmission Section 21L 2nd Light Department 21R 1st Department of Light 22 Power Supply Section 23 Operations Department 30 mounting section 100 toys 200 cars 201 Front 202 Rear

Claims

1. A toy that can take on a first form and a second form, It includes a light-emitting part and a main body that imitates only a part of an item, and is configured to imitate either the front part including the headlights of a car, or the rear part including the taillights of a car. The light-emitting part is configured to be unable to emit light in the first form in which the main body is housed in a spherical capsule, and to be able to emit light in the second form in which the main body is not housed in the spherical capsule, in a toy.

2. The toy according to claim 1, The light-emitting part is configured to emit light in at least one of two states: a steady state and a flashing state, in this toy.

3. The toy according to claim 1, The main body is configured to be held in the spherical capsule in the first embodiment, and is configured to be rotatable while held in the spherical capsule, in a toy.

4. The toy according to claim 3, The main body is configured to be supplied from an article supply device in the first embodiment, and is a toy.

5. The toy according to claim 4, In the second embodiment, the main body is not held in the spherical capsule and is configured in such a way that it cannot be supplied from an article supply device.

6. A toy according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The main body includes the operating section, The toy is configured such that the operating unit is operable only in the second embodiment.

7. The toy according to claim 6, The light-emitting part is configured to emit light upon direct operation of the control unit and indirect operation of the main body, in this toy.

8. The toy according to claim 6, The light-emitting part is configured to be turned off under the condition of operating the control unit, in this toy.

9. The toy according to claim 6, The light-emitting section includes a first light-emitting section and a second light-emitting section. A toy in which the first light-emitting unit and the second light-emitting unit are configured to emit light simultaneously, subject to the operation of the control unit.

10. The toy according to claim 6, The aforementioned operating section is configured such that a part of it protrudes from the main body, in a toy.

11. The toy according to claim 6, The main body includes a light-transmitting portion, The light-transmitting part is configured to transmit light emitted from the light-emitting part, in this toy.

12. The toy according to claim 11, The main body includes a plurality of surface parts, The light-transmitting portion is formed on one of the multiple surface portions of the toy.

13. The toy according to claim 12, The light-transmitting portion is provided on the front surface portion of the main body portion, The operating unit is provided on the rear surface of the main body, in the toy.

14. The toy according to claim 11, The light-transmitting portion includes a first light-transmitting portion and a second light-transmitting portion. A toy in which the first light-transmitting part and the second light-transmitting part are made up to have the same shape.

15. The toy according to claim 14, A toy in which the first light-transmitting part and the second light-transmitting part are of the same size.

16. A toy according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The toy is characterized in that the main body has a curved surface on its right side and a curved surface on its left side.

17. A toy according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The main body is a toy in which the upper surface of the main body is formed with irregularities.

18. A toy according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The main body is a toy configured to be placed on a mounting portion in the second embodiment.

19. A toy according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The main body is a toy in which a part of the front of a car, which includes the headlights, is replaced with a part of the front, or a part of the rear of a car, which includes the taillights, is replaced with a part of the rear.

20. A toy according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The aforementioned main unit includes the power supply unit, The power supply unit is located in the center of the main body, in the toy.

Images